STS-106
Report # 16
Friday, September 15, 2000 8:30 p.m.
With one full day of docked operations remaining to complete their work
on the International Space Station (ISS), the seven-member crew of Space
Shuttle Atlantis continued setting up equipment for the stationís first
inhabitants.
The astronauts began their sixth day attached to the Space Station this
evening, as Mission Control awakened the crew at 6:46pm Central time with
the University of Connecticut Fight Song, performed by the University of
Connecticut Band. The music was played for Rick Mastracchio, an alumnus
of that school.
On the timeline for flight day nine will be the setup of the ISS treadmill
and its associated equipment. The device, known as the Treadmill with
Vibration Isolation and Stabilization (TVIS) allows station crews to
maintain physical conditioning during their extended flights without
shaking sensitive experiments.
Astronauts also will reinstall the Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM)
Controllers that had been removed by the STS-96 crew to facilitate
logistics transfer during the ISS supply and setup missions. The CBM
controllers are suitcase-size devices that control the latching of modules
and ISS hardware to the Unity node. They were removed to avoid damage to
the units and to ease the transfer of bulky items through the hatches.
This reinstallation was a get-ahead task that the crew was able to work
into its timeline.
Pilot Scott Altman and Mission Specialist Ed Lu will participate in a
series of in-flight interviews with three media outlets Saturday. They
will talk with WHEC-TV in Rochester, NY, Fox News Network and the Orlando
Sentinel beginning at 6:56 a.m. CDT.
Cargo transfer is proceeding well with more than 3500 pounds of supplies,
water and equipment having been moved from the orbiter into the station.
The crew has unloaded approximately 1,300 pounds from the Progress
resupply vehicle presently docked to the end of the Zvezda module. The
empty Progress is now being used as a trash receptacle and will be
remotely deorbited prior to the arrival of the first resident crew to the
Station later this fall.
Atlantis is in a 206 x 199 nautical mile orbit with all systems
functioning normally. The next STS-106 status report will be issued at 7
a.m. Saturday or sooner if events warrant.